How to Get Most of Your Cardio Training

Cardio workout#1:

Treadmill

Start off with a five-minute warm-up, then do two minutes at 7-8 on a perceived exertion scale (10 being the hardest, 1 being really easy), which will probably be 7-8 miles an hour or 70%-80% of max heart rate for you.
To determine your max heart rate, substract your age from 220 and then multiply that number by  the percentage you’re aiming for (in this case, 0.70 or 0.80). That provides the number of heartbeats per minute your cardio training should produce.
Follow that high-intensity burst with a recovery interval of two minutes at 4-6 perceived exertion, or 50%-70% of max heart rate. Repeat that sequence two more times for  a total workout of 17 minutes, including the warm-up.
Finish with a five-minute, slow-pace cool-down to gradually lower your heart rate.
Over the course of six weeks, the speed of your work intervals should gradually increase. If you’re measuring your effort by perceived exertion, as you get fitter, your speed will increase.

Cardio Workout #2:

Stationary Bike

Start off with a five-minute warm-up, then do five minutes at 7-8 on a perceived exertion scale (10 being the hardest while 1 being really easy), which will be 70%-80% of max heart rate for you. Follow that with a recovery interval of three minutes at 4-6 perceived exertion, or 50%-70% of your max heart rate.
Repeat that sequence one more time for a total workout of 21 minutes, including the warm-up.
Again, finish with a five-minute, slow-paced cool down.
Over the course of the six weeks, the speed of your work intervals should gradually increase. If you’re measuring your effort by perceived exertion, as you get fitter, you should be able to work at progressively more challenging settings.